San Diego Padres Trade Rumors: Latest Updates, News and Reaction

The first three months of the 2014 MLB season are in the books, and the San Diego Padres are one of the few teams that have emerged as sellers as the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline approaches.

The National League West may not be the most competitive division in baseball, but it certainly has two of the best teams in the majors. The San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers have established themselves as serious contenders. They have both run away from the rest of the division.

Now that the deadline is approaching, the Padres can begin to trade away some valuable pieces in order to build for the future. San Diego has a couple of bats that could help contenders, and as only a select group of teams are going to be sellers at the deadline, the Padres could demand a lot in return for their players.

San Diego is going to be able to control the market at the deadline. It has valuable pieces, and teams will be willing to make a deal in order to improve their postseason chances.

Make sure to keep checking back here to see what rumors the Padres are involved in, or what deals the team makes as the MLB trade deadline approaches.

The veteran has put up solid numbers the past few seasons. A .277 career hitter, Denorfia can make contact, run a little bit (54 career stolen bases) and play solid defense (.987 career fielding percentage).

Denorfia, who makes $2.25 million this season, is a cheap player whose contract is up after this year. The Padres could use him in order to get a prospect for the future at the deadline.

Almonte hit .198 wit one home run, five doubles and one triple in 27 games for the Mariners this season. The 25-year-old has not played in the majors since the beginning of May.

Kohlscheen has slowly worked his way through the system since being drafted in 2010. He is 2-0 with a 3.28 ERA in 15 games at Triple-A this season.

This trade makes a lot of sense for the Padres. Denorfia was set to become a free agent after the season, so they were able to get a couple of pieces for the future in return.

After the Padres got three top prospects and a fourth highly ranked prospect, they will be looking for a comparable package should they decide to trade Benoit.

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The veteran signed a two-year, $15.5 million contract (which includes a vesting option for 2016) with the Padres in the offseason. It may have looked like a lot of money for a setup man at the time, but the move looks pretty good right now.

Benoit posted a 2.01 ERA and a 1.030 WHIP in 67 appearances with the Detroit Tigers in 2013. All he has done this season is improve on those numbers.

This season, he has posted a 1.30 ERA and a 0.721 WHIP through his first 34 games. His control has been great. He has struck out 39 batters and walked only seven in 34.2 innings.

Benoit's success can be traced back to his splits. He is holding right-handed batters to a .158 average, and he has been even stingier to left-handed hitters, holding them to a .150 average.

Like Street, Benoit has gotten better as the season has gone on. He allowed three runs in the first month of the season, two in May and none in June. He hasn't allowed a home run since late April.

Any team that wants to improve the back of its bullpen would be wise to look at Benoit. He has proven to be a fantastic setup man this year, and he notched 24 saves for Detroit last season. The right-hander can do whatever a team needs out of the bullpen, and there are reportedly teams interested in him.

One executive that spoke with the Padres about a potential deal for Kennedy told ESPN's Jayson Stark that there's a "50-50 chance" that the right-hander gets moved.

Leery of decimating its rotation before a new, full-time GM is hired, San Diego is telling teams that they'd need a big-league starter and another prospect to even consider trading him.

With contenders looking to bolster their rotations—not subtract from them—it seems increasingly unlikely that Kennedy winds up going anywhere.

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Update: July 24 at 11:15 p.m. ET

The San Diego Padres and the New York Yankees aren't done talking. According to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, the two teams are now discussing a trade that would send Ian Kennedy to the Yankees. However, Heyman also reported that the Yankees aren't interested in sending a package that includes both Eric Jagielo and Ian Clarkin. Heyman reported that there is interest, but there is "nothing hot at all" with a potential Kennedy-to-the-Yankees deal.

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Update: July 16 at 3 p.m. ET

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reported that the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles are unable to "match up" on a trade involving Ian Kennedy.

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One player that could draw some interest should the Padres put him on the block is Ian Kennedy.

The right-hander is 7-9 with a 3.47 ERA and a 1.190 WHIP in 20 starts this season, with the latter two numbers being his best since his outstanding 2011 season. That season, he went 21-4 with a 2.88 ERA and a 1.086 WHIP with the Arizona Diamondbacks

There is plenty of potential with Kennedy, and he has once again shown that he can have good outings consistently.

San Diego is "lukewarm" about trading Kennedy, according to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. The 29-year-old is eligible for arbitration for a third time this winter. Rosenthal also reported that the Los Angeles Angels are interested in Kennedy.

The Padres are reportedly more interested in moving players who will be free agents after this season, which Kennedy is not. However, the club's control over the pitcher makes him a valuable trade chip should San Diego decide to put him on the trade block.

YES Network's Jack Curry reported on Tuesday that the Padres and the New York Yankees are close to finalizing a deal involving Headley. As Curry pointed out, the Yankees have been interested in the third baseman for quite some time.

Shortly after that report surfaced, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reported that the Padres will send $1 million along with Headley to New York and receive third baseman Yangervis Solarte and right-handed pitcher Rafael De Paula.

After having a breakout season in 2012 in which he hit .286 with 31 home runs and 115 RBI, Headley became a household name. Many wondered if the Padres would sell high on him that winter or try to lock him up with a long-term deal. San Diego chose the latter but was unsuccessful.

That decision led to a drop in value. Even after hitting .323 in July, Headley was hitting only .229 on the season. He had only seven home runs, with no more than two in any month. Those numbers come just one year after hitting .250 with 13 home runs.

This year's poor offensive numbers could be explained by injuries. He has missed time with right-calf strains and a herniated disc.

In return, the Padres will be getting a couple of unproven players in Solarte and De Paula.

Solarte had a chance to show what he can do in the majors this season. He hit .263 against right-handed pitchers and .239 against southpaws. All of his home runs came against right-handers, so he has had quite a bit more success from the left side of the plate than from the right.

De Paula was the Yankees' 15-best prospect, according to the team's official website. He impressed in the minors right away, and now, he has found a way to adjust to Single-A. His numbers there last year (6.06 ERA in 11 games) weren't pretty. He has at least shown the ability to improve this season.

De Paula's fastball averages mid-90s and has a solid slider but has trouble consistently locating it. The right-hander also has a changeup, but that has yet to be effectively used. Unless his secondary pitches get better, he may have to convert to a reliever.

The Padres had to "sell low" on Headley, but at least they were able to get something in return for him.

July 18: Padres Trade RHP Huston Street to Angels in 6-Player Trade

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The San Diego Padres have traded right-handed pitcher Huston Street and right-handed pitcher Trevor Gott to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for second baseman Taylor Lindsey, shortstop Jose Rondon, right-handed pitcher R.J. Alvarez and right-hander Elliot Morris. Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal was the first to report the terms of the deal.

Street went 24-for-25 in save opportunities with the Padres this season. The 30-year-old has posted a 1.09 ERA and a 0.758 WHIP in 33 innings this season. If he keeps pitching well, the Angels' $7 million team option for next season will be a bargain.

Street will be missed in the Padres bullpen, but Joaquin Benoit will likely take over as closer—for now at least. Street can help a contender this season, but this trade was about the future for San Diego.

Lindsey was drafted by the Angels in the first round of the 2010 MLB draft. He was the Angels’ second-ranked prospect, via the team’s official site. Baseball America ranked Lindsey as the team’s top prospect before the season started.

Before this season, the second baseman had not had a batting average below .274, and his power numbers continued to improve. He has played at a new level in every season, so he has been zooming through the Angels’ system.

Lindsey has done a good job of putting the ball in play. Last season, he struck out only 91 times in 566 plate appearances. This season, he had only 44 walks compared to 32 walks in 343 plate appearances.

Lindsey doesn’t project to be a prolific power hitter or a standout in any one area, but he is a solid all-around player.

San Diego will also reportedly receive shortstop Jose Rondon in the deal. The right-handed batter was the fifth-ranked prospect in the Angels' system.

Rondon is currently in his fourth professional season. For the first time, he made it past rookie ball this year. He has shown the ability to put the bat on the ball and get hits, but power isn't part of his game. He has only two home runs in 958 at-bats over four seasons.

Alvarez was the Angels' third-round pick in the 2012 MLB draft and was ranked sixth in the team's farm system. Like Lindsey, he has played at a different been promoted to a new level at the end of each season.

Alvarez has a strong fastball, a good slider and a decent changeup. As long as he continues to locate his fastball and slider, he will be an effective reliever.

By getting Lindsey, Alvarez and Rondon, the Padres are getting three of the Angels top-six prospects. That's a pretty good haul, and that's not all they got in the deal.

Morris was the Angels' 18th-best prospect. The right-hander tore his ulnar collateral ligament in the fall of 2010 while at junior college and missed all of the 2011 season before getting back on the mound in 2012. He proved that his arm was strong enough to pitch, and the Angels drafted him in the fourth round of last year's draft.

Morris' fastball can reach the mid-90s, and it is his best pitch. His curveball looks promising, and he also possesses a changeup. If he is going to continue to be a starter, his control needs to improve (41 walks in 85.1 innings this season) and so do his secondary pitches.

The future looks bright for San Diego. The Padres got three top-six prospects and another top-20 prospect in exchange for their closer and a minor league pitcher. Considering the Padres have someone who can take over for Bell, they made out very well in this deal.

July 2: Padres Sign Seth Smith to 2-Year Extension

Gregory Bull/Associated Press

Seth Smith may have been one player who other teams were interested in, but it doesn't look like he will be going anywhere.

On July 2, Smith agreed to a two-year extension with a club option for 2017, according to the team's press release. MLB.com's Corey Brock reported that the extension is worth $13 million. Smith will make $6 million in 2015 and $6.75 million in 2016, via Brock. The 2017 team option is worth $7 million with a $250,000 buyout.

Smith has just about everything that you can want from a hitter. He has a slash line of .290/.397/.516 with eight home runs and 17 doubles through 67 games in 2014. Those numbers are fairly impressive when you realize that he plays at Petco Park.

The outfielder put up impressive numbers at the beginning of his career with the Colorado Rockies. When he went from hitting at Coors Field to the O.co Coliseum, his numbers dropped considerably. Now, he has proven that he can hit in big parks.

Potential Trade Candidate: OF Carlos Quentin

Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

Carlos Quentin may not be the player he once was, but he is still capable of changing a game with his bat.

Cafardo reported that Quentin is one of the players the Padres would like to move at the deadline, which would require the outfielder to waive his no-trade clause. However, his injury history and his contract hurt his value tremendously.

Quentin missed the final seven weeks of last season after undergoing surgery on his right knee, and he didn't join the team's active roster this season until the middle of May.

The 31-year-old is making $9.5 million this season and is due $8 million next season. He also has a mutual option for the 2016 season, which includes a $3 million buyout.

Quentin is below the Mendoza Line, so teams may not be willing to pay his salary when he's not producing. If he can stay healthy, he is good for 15 to 20 home runs per season.

San Diego would reportedly like to move the veteran in order to get some prospects back in return. At this point in his career, an American League team would make the most sense. He could be the team's designated hitter in order to keep his bat in the lineup.